"Father."
Lydia gave a deep bow to her father, her dark hair falling from her shoulders. Fent smiled, sorrow in his eyes.
"Your mother would be proud of how strong you have become, of how beautiful you have become. Forgive me, my dear daughter."
Fent sighed as he placed his head in his hands.
"I wish you could live as who you are, I know it torments you. A good man would be able to take you far from-"
"Father, I am not ashamed of what I have become. Though I do not wish to lie, I have greater opportunities as a man in this world. I am grateful that you've raised me to be this strong."
Fent had a tear in his eye as he shifted a sheet of paper in front of him.
"I have another mission for you, one from the King himself. It arrived a few days before we returned home."
Lydia approached her father, reading the letter from his desk as she spoke.
"So... you added a few kills to my last mission."
Fent began to gulp heavily as he chuckled.
"Ah, perish the thought. Of course I only told the truth."
Lydia's eyes pierced into his soul as she spoke.
"Of course. The father I cherish and love would never exploit my achievements and make them a tall tale. Now..."
Her eyes refocused on the letter.
"Hmm. Recon and attempt to eradicate. This an infestation of demonic beasts, so I'll take about a week to fully finish up everything."
Fent nodded as he grabbed a nearby bell and rang it.
"You'll be going alone this time. I need to look after the estate since I've been absent. Scarlet will get what you need, but please do ask Jerr if you need something she can't acquire."
Fent began to shuffle through his paperwork as Scarlet and Jerr entered. The couple were smiling brightly, Scarlet's cheeks a rosey hue. Lydia gage them a blank stare.
"Fool around after you are off work. I'd rather not reprimand people I treat like siblings."
As she left the room, the two followed her with a different kind of happy smile on their faces. They listed what Lydia asked for, a very small amount of supplies and a bit of money, until she reached her room.
"I set out tomorrow, please get what I asked for ready by then."
The couple nodded and said their farewells as Lydia closed her door. As she turned away, she glanced around her room with tired eyes.
"Soft bed for one night? Good enough."
Gracefully, she jumped onto her bed and grabbed one of her pillows. She hugged it tight as she began to drift off to sleep.
-
"Ah good, good! So I'm becoming more famous! A Hero will be here to do battle!"
A thin, pale hand was clenched into a triumphant fist. Deep red nails gleamed in the darkness as her voice rang out with excited giggles.
"Your Majesty! Please calm yourself. We don't want you getting sick from excitement... again."
Bright red eyes narrowed as the frail looking girl stepped up to a large man covered in fur.
"Do I pay you to warn me of ridiculous thing like that?!"
The man's wolfish face let out a sigh.
"For one, you don't pay me. And second, quit trying to be mean to me. You're bad at it."
"Ack."
"While I do admit that you're strong, keep in mind that your physical constitution is... flexible."
The girl pouted as she spun around.
"I know that! When I'm like this, you know how I get!"
The wolfman nodded, placing a calming hand on the girls shoulder.
"You are a special case, O Mighty Demon Queen. May your battle against the coming Hero be enough to confirm your place in the annals of history."
Hopping away, the girl stopped and turned towards her retainer. Her long white hair reached her slender waist, while her outfit bound her slender frame tightly. Her smile radiated a warmth unlike a Demon.
"Majesty, should you not wear something less restricting?"
She stared down with a confused face.
"I guess. If they're fast, I'll have a small issue with this. Maybe I'll be able to transform too! Hehe."
After a few hours, the girl sighed.
"Doren, how long must I wait? I'm bored."
"Your Majesty, the time will range. We know not how far your adversary may be- Ah! Here we are!"
A young man with dashing looks stood before the Demon Queen and retainer. His had a defiant smirk.
"Ha. So you are my opponent! Good to-"
With a flick of her wrist, the Demon Queen launched a massive jolt of electricity. In an instant, the man was dust.
"Eh... that wasn't him, was it?"
The sad look in her eyes hurt the wolfman's heart. He shook his head slowly.
"With a weak spell like that, no way he was a Hero."
The Demon Queen's eyes relit as she shuffled her feet.
"Then they need to get here, now!"
Her happy smile left Doren warm.
"Do act your age though, Majesty. You are no longer a young princess, but a powerful queen."
-
"Farewell, Sir Rex! Do return with a great story for us all!"
Lydia had donned her armor, as well as her alias. She and Lu had already attempted to sneak out of town, but a crowd had appeared in an instant.
"Lu, evasive horse."
Lu snorted before he quickly navigated the viewers. Lydia had a small smirk under her helmet as she quickly vanished out of the gate.
"Time to eradicate some more beasties. Let's go Lu!"
---
Thank you,
Anna Haig!
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